Brazil is stepping up negotiations on the Gripen purchase deal

Tuesday, 17 December 2013
Brazil has stepped up negotiations with Sweden for the purchase of the
JAS Gripen aircraft from Saab, according to various reports.

Reports from Swedish press refer to Brazilian new reports that the
Swedish fighter jets are reported to be the clear favourite for the
Brazilian military build-up.

Ever since August, when it became known through the whistle-blower
Edward Snowden that the U.S. has been spying on almost everyone
including Brazil and its government, the Brazilian Ministry of Defense
has increased the pace of its negotiations with Sweden for the purchase
of 36 JAS Gripen aircraft from Saab, writes Swedish news agency TT,
referring to the newspaper, Folha de São Paulo on Monday.

According to TT, the same newspaper revealed this weekend that the
country intends to abstain from making a possible deal with combat
aircraft Rafale, made by Dassault of France, because it is considered
too expensive by President Dilma Rousseff. The information has not been
confirmed.

This means that the Swedish Jas Gripen is left as one of two
candidates. The other is the American Boeing F/A-18 Super Hornet. The
newspaper does not believe in any final decision before 2015, after the
Brazilian presidential elections in October 2014.

Other sources on a Brazilian defence procurement interest signify that
the Swedish Gripen fighter jets are being taken seriously as the clear
favourite for the Brazilian Air Force's procurement. The country’s
President Dilma Rousseff herself is the one who will take the final
decision, sources said.
Saab remained mute when questioned about the issue by TT.
By Scancomark.com Team